So here it goes: Can a self-taught web standards developer who knows just enough JavaScript, jQuery, ASP and ActionScript (read: can borrow your code and manipulate it to do what he wants) to be dangerous, but has no real foundation in programming or computer science, learn to make iPhone apps?

We're about to find out. In my downtime this summer, I'm undertaking trying to learn enough Objective-C to create some basic apps. Since I've always been the type to learn from books, and there's always something new to learn about the web and computers, I figured, why not give it a shot?

Even the dumbest iPhone app stands to make a few bucks. So my goal is simple. Make a $1 app that will get downloaded enough to pay for the investment of learning how to make it. I'm gonna estimate that cost will land somewhere in the neighborhood of $250* after the $99 developer membership with Apple and the cost of a few good books. And if the first one doesn't catch on, well, it's another tool for the old toolbelt.

* That cost doesn't include the cost of a new iPhone. We'll get around to that eventually.

Labels: iPhone